


Cleveland

by Garnigal



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garnigal/pseuds/Garnigal
Summary: On her own, but not alone





	1. Lonely

Faith sat alone in her Cleveland apartment, watching TV and absently patting Butch, the beagle she’d picked up at the pound. The scene was tranquil; in fact, the only jarring note was the frown on Faith’s face. Something was off with this little scene, but she couldn’t figure out what.

After several months of hanging with the Scoobies and the Newbies, building and rebuilding relationships, Faith had finally snapped. Oh, not in any bad, irreparable, back-  
to-jail-with-you kinda way. She’d just gotten to a point where she needed to be on her  
own. She started withdrawing, especially from Robin and Buffy, whom she’d grown, surprisingly enough, very close to. Faith started getting quiet and she began patrolling alone. It had led to some hard feelings; Robin had taken off with his wounded eyes and a handful of girls to train. Buffy had tried to talk to Faith more than once, but Buffy’s own fear of abandonment and other responsibilities kept getting in the way.

It was Xander, sorrowful, shattered Xander, who’d gently asked what was wrong. Faith wished she could’ve blamed it on Jack Daniels or some magic spell, but it was just Xander. For some unknown reason, it all came out; the feelings and fears created by the way everyone had watched her, whether warily, greedily or guiltily, in prison and how she felt like people were still doing it. Faith had talked for hours. Buffy had joined them at one point, though all she did was listen sympathetically. When Faith finally ran out of words, Buffy and Xander led her to Giles’s door and left her there, whispering, ‘All you had to do was ask.’

So Giles had set her up in Cleveland. She had some cash from the Council accounts Willow had ‘found’, a set of very good references, and a clean slate. Oh, and Butch, as of a month ago. The beagle in need of rescue as much as Faith was.

She’d found a decent job as a bouncer at a bar downtown. It cut into her patrolling time, except for the occasions she got to dust some vamps trying to snack on some of the patrons. Her life was pretty routine; work, slay, sleep, hang out with Butch. She enjoyed the routine, she liked her job and co-workers, she still loved to slay. The biggest change was that she now slept alone. It wasn’t for lack of offers; she just didn’t accept any. She told herself she wasn’t ready; she’d left the Scoobies to be on her own, to sort out her head. Sleeping around felt like cheating.

She only really missed sex on her nights off, which weren’t many. Faith tried to deal by going slaying or by picking up extra shifts if she could, but every once in a while she found the streets quiet and the bar over-staffed. That’s how she found herself home tonight. Home and lonely.

Lonely. Damn it, that’s what had her so maudlin. She missed the Scoobies; she missed group slayage, she missed having an audience for her puns and more spectacular kills. She missed having someone to talk to when she wasn’t slaying. Despite admitting it to herself, she wasn’t ready to admit it to the Scoobies – she’d asked to leave; now she had to live with the consequences. Maybe one day Faith would even learn from her mistakes.

Faith sighed deeply and tried to lose herself in the nameless comedy flickering on the TV screen. But the brave heroine turned into Buffy, the wise advisor looked just like Giles, the best friend had Willow’s red hair, and the sensitive hero reminded her of sad, knowing Xander.

It was still early by Faith’s usual schedule when she gave up and started turning out the lights. As soon as the last lamp clicked off, Faith heard a light tap at the door. Her depression must have gotten the best of her, because she didn’t even hesitate to wonder who would knock at midnight before she threw open the door.

Buffy and Xander stood in front of her, grinning widely. Xander was holding a pizza.

“Hey Faith. Did ya miss us?”


	2. So You Say It's Your Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthdays should never be forgotten.
> 
> For married_n_mich

‘Birthdays should never be forgotten,’ Faith thought as she walked home from Mount Pleasant Cemetery at five a.m. ‘They don’t have to be as memorable as B’s, but they shouldn’t just be ignored.’

Faith had been 22 for five hours. She’d worked at the club until 2:30, getting the last of the rowdies out into the night, and then hit three cemeteries on the way home. She’d slayed five vamps, one demon, and made note of an empty crypt with a freshly busted lock. It looked like it was getting a new undead tenant.

“Hell of a way to spend a birthday,” Faith muttered aloud.

Despite her weariness and self-pity, she still walked through the moist darkness with a hip-twitching swagger. It would take a lot more than being forgotten on her birthday to make Faith listless. Her dark eyes caught every glint of light and motion, giving them brilliance, and her lips showed signs of smiling more frequently than frowning, despite her current unhappy pout.

She was still hot, she was still sexy, she was still eye-catchingly vibrant. She was still Faith.

She was also still in Cleveland.

While Buffy, Giles and Xander trained and raised the hordes of little Slayers, and Willow and Kennedy roamed the world looking for interesting magic, and Robin hunted evil demons with a band of intensely violent young women, Faith was comfortably set up in a comfortable apartment in comfortable Cleveland, home of the most boring Hellmouth in history.

Sure there were always demons and vampires to kill, but none of them seemed to have any big plans. None of them were interested in opening the Hellmouth, unleashing fire and doom. None of them had any intention of trying to end the world. Faith had decided the Cleveland demons and vamps was the most unimaginative and lazy bunch of evildoers she’d ever met.

Unfortunately, they still ate people. So, she stayed, trying to get rid of as many bad guys and save as many good guys as she could.

Too much evil to leave unattended, not enough to justify calling for backup. And it was her birthday, and she was alone.

Life sucked.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Faith kicked off her shoes and pressed the play button on the answering machine. As soon as Butch heard her shoes hit the floor, he jumped off the bed and came running, bouncing joyfully and looking for treats. Faith laughed and got out the Milkbones as Buffy’s voice filled the room.

“Hey, Faith. It’s Buffy. I, um, I guess you are still out slaying. I just got in and thought I’d give you a call, just to chat. We haven’t talked in a while. Anyway, I’ll call in a couple of days. See you!”

Faith had to smile at Buffy’s cheerful message. The “generalissimo” of the battle with The First was long gone. This Buffy was more confident, more compassionate, more contented. This Buffy was a friend.

Faith made herself a snack and sat down to eat, Butch chewing on his rawhide at her feet. It had been a long road, from angry young slayer unwilling to trust anyone, to reasonably well adjusted woman with friends and a position of trust. Despite all the things that had happened, it was worth it to end up here, safe, comfortable and loved.

Even if her friends had forgotten her birthday.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was about two pm when Faith woke up. Butch was whining at her to be let out, and Faith was feeling wide awake, so she dressed quickly, grabbed the leash and headed out to the park to take Butch for a nice long walk.

The park was beautiful. The weather was perfect, and the old trees in the park provided lots of shade. Faith let Butch off his leash to play catch with him. It had taken a few months, but Butch was very well trained now. It helped that he was completely devoted to Faith, and unwilling to get beyond eyesight of her.

Faith washed her hands at the picnic shelter in the centre of the park, then decided it was time to go home. On her way she grabbed a dog from a street vender.

She was still licking mustard off her fingers when she reached her apartment door.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday, Faith!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The room was filled with people and decorations. Balloons bounced against the ceiling, and streamers dangled from the corners. Newbie slayers chattered excitedly in groups and cooed over Butch, who was lapping up the attention and performing all his best tricks.

The Scoobies were huddled around Faith, wide smiles on their faces as they watched her surprise change to shy happiness.

“How? When? Huh?”

Faith was practically left speechless by shock, but Buffy and Xander answered her questions anyway.

“As if we would forget your birthday! Willow tracked you with magic while we decorated and brought the food in.”

“And can I say thank you for the nice long walk you took today?” Xander said.

“And I called your boss last week to make sure you had tonight off. So you are totally free to enjoy yourself,” Buffy said smugly.

“And I convinced Giles to take the Newbies home by 10, so we can hit the clubs after they leave!” Xander finished triumphantly.

Faith just smiled, hugged Buffy and grabbed Xander’s hand.

“All right, kids, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this party started!”


End file.
